


Orange

by Ordinarily



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Afterlife, Angst and Humor, Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Spoilers, Character Death, F/M, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Inner Dialogue
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-10
Updated: 2019-05-10
Packaged: 2020-02-29 06:50:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 768
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18773443
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ordinarily/pseuds/Ordinarily
Summary: ***Endgame SpoilersTony couldn't speak, but that sure as hell didn't stop the thoughts.





	Orange

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [At least they're stuck together](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/480400) by mrsgingles. 



There are so many things Tony wants to say but his voice doesn’t work. He can feel the strain at the back of his throat, feel his vocal cords stuck in place.

Wow, that stings. Stings real bad. 

He doesn’t even _think_ of trying to move the right side of his body; the thought doesn't cross his mind, not once. 

FRIDAY doesn’t tell him about the damage. Like, somehow, she knows he knows.

There’s so much… dust… everywhere.

Fuck, that stings. Burns cold and hot simultaneously and leaves him short of breath.

Nothing seems to work except for his mind, overloading and short-circuiting in intervals. And then— 

 

First, it’s Rhodey.

Rhodes, Rhodes, Rhodey, Rhodes. 

James. 

Hey, man. Thanks for having my back. 

Thanks for sticking around this long and thanks for the tough love. I needed you more than you knew.

You should get married. Settle down. You deserve it. You deserve a break. 

I know you can take care of yourself but it doesn’t mean you always have to, you know? You taught me that.

Don’t miss me too much, alright? I mean, miss me a little, that’s fine...

Take care of yourself, Rhodey. 

 

Then, it’s Peter. 

Oh God, Pete. 

I’m so sorry, kid. You’re going to blame yourself for this. 

_If you die, I think that’s on me._

But this isn’t on you. I swear to God, it’s not on you. 

And... and I’m sorry. Your aunt told me about Ben. I’m sorry I never tried to figure it out with you. It didn’t feel like my place but now... now it does. 

(Maybe Happy can take over for a little bit.)

You don’t need a dad, Peter. I didn’t have one and I turned out great. You’re going to be great. Better than I was. Now don’t let that go to you head—no one likes a narcissist. 

Wish I told you I love you. 

At least given you that. 

 

Pepper. 

Aw jeez, Pepper. 

You know this hurts, to look at you? Moving is painful. I’m literally fried.

Yeah... that’s why. 

I’ll stay if you want me to. I swear to God, I’ll stay, Pepper, just say the word and I’ll—

But—

I...

Tell my kid I love her... Three thousand and one.

You gave me the world. 

Thank you, Mrs. Potts. It, truly, has been a pleasure working with you. 

***

Tony doesn’t expect the afterlife to look this... orange. 

I mean, so, okay, who is he to judge interior decorating choices, but you figure some of those giant books would’ve mentioned it? 

It’s a beach and it’s beautiful but all of it's orange. 

He gets the feeling this is going to get old, real quick. 

You know his room was orange when he was a kid? 

It got old, real quick.

“Tony?”

...God really is a woman. Wow. That comes to him a little as a surprise quite honestly.

That there’s a god, not that it’s a she. 

Apparently, God looks like Natasha Romanoff. 

She's radiant. 

“You were God this whole time? And you didn’t tell me?”

Romanoff smiles. She’s glowing. 

Really, she’s _actually_ glowing. A soft orange aura. 

It matches her hair.

Old, quick, etc.

“You sacrificed.”

She doesn’t quite say it as a question. 

He nods. Looks down at himself. He isn’t burnt, isn’t wearing the armour. He’s comfortable and he feels light on his feet. 

Feels free. 

“I don’t understand,” he says.

“A soul for a soul,” she tells him. “In your case, many souls. You did it, Tony.”

“Are we stuck here? The orange is giving me a headache.”

“You can leave if you want. The way I understand it, you have a lot to choose from.”

He looks around. This place feels like it stretches forever. There’s the odd person he catches every now and then: some blue guy with a mohawk, a girl with green skin...

“Come with me,” Tony prompts.

“Where?”

“Is there... some kind of, like, I don’t know, saving... people... position?” 

Natasha suppresses a smile and nods at him gracefully. Has she always been this elegant? 

Yeah. She has.

“I think there’s just the thing for you. I’ll... I’ll join you there in a little bit.”

Tony searches her face. 

“Okay, then. I’m ready when you are. You call the shots.”

They sit together in the orange sand, watching the orange sun set on an orange sky. He peaks at Nat out of the corner of his eye. Her orange hair and orange glow.

There’s a small smile on his lips and Tony decides maybe the orange won’t be so bad for a little while.


End file.
